Directions

Toss the beef, flour, and salt in a sealable bag until the beef is coated.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine the beef and Worcestershire sauce in the skillet; cook until the beef is evenly browned on all sides; transfer to a slow cooker, but do not clean the skillet. Add the carrots, potatoes, parsley, and pepper to the slow cooker.

Combine the boiling water and soup mix in a small bowl; add to slow cooker.

Melt the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the melted butter until soft; transfer the onion and garlic to the slow cooker and return the skillet to the heat. Combine the wine and mushrooms to the skillet; cook until the mushrooms begin to absorb the wine; pour the mixture into the slow cooker.

Place the cover on the slow cooker and set to High; cook for one hour. Reduce heat to Low and cook until the beef is fork-tender, 6 to 8 hours. Whisk together the warm water and cornstarch; stir into the stew; cook uncovered until stew thickens, about 15 minutes.

Most Helpful Positive Review

Dec 11, 2008

This turned out to be the best beef stew ever, but I gave it only 4 stars because of the alterations I had to use. I feel that some of the steps listed are unnecessary and take extra time (like boiling the water with the soup mix). I followed the instructions with the following changes: I added 2 C. beef broth (in place of water) and only 1 packet of the onion soup mix straight to the crock pot. I also cut the onion into very small pieces and only added about 1 1/2 med. sized onions. I also added 3 tbs. fresh chopped parsley instead of dried, and 1 tbs. of celery flakes. I think that fresh celery would go well also. I did not use mushrooms, and added the wine straight to the crock pot. Also added just a pinch of allspice (I always use it in beef dishes and it's GREAT!) and 1 bay leaf that I removed when it was done cooking. This is hearty and amazing! Next time I'll try red potatoes. I made an extra batch, put in frozen tupperware, and gave as homemade frozen meals for Christmas!

Most Helpful Critical Review

May 12, 2008

I really liked the stew. Very hearty!
Two points to note:
1. I'd like to try it with more vegetables, like peas, for instance
2. Be sure to take out the onions when you are done cooking, I tried eating them and they didn't taste very good in large chunks like that

I am the one that is known for making reservations, not dinner itself. A friend turned me onto this site and I look for the 5 star ratings to try something out. When I made this, my husband remarked "What did you do to this?" I didn't know how to respond so I just said nervously asked "Why?" He asked me what I laced it with because he had never tasted Stew so good in his life. He had 5 helpings that night, and took it to work every day that week. He never eats left overs EVER, so the fact he did the entire week was astounding. My husband is a very picky eater, and is afforded the luxury of eating in the finest eateries around town for lunch several times a week so it is HIGHEST praise coming from him. I went back to find the recipe again (stupidly did not save it to my box and erroneously made another recipe. Even tho it was rated 5 stars as well, it was not even close in flavor to this one. Miraculously, I printed out this recipe and just found it again. Whew!! Off to make it again tonight. When browning the beef, don't use a NON stick pan. The crusty stuff on the bottom is SO good and adds a great flavor to the end product.

Whew! This was a lot of work for a crockpot meal. I followed recipe to a "T" although I used more flour to dredge and didn't need the cornstarch at the end as there was plenty of gravy. After 1 hour on high and 6 hours on slow meat was still tough so it needs 8 hours. Was good but needed more flavor so had to add spices at the end.

My girlfriend is one of the choosiest eaters in terms of quality of ingredients, taste, and health benefits. I made this recipe and she says it's the best beef stew she's had in her life. I'm inclined to agree it was incredible. I followed the 1/2 size recipe fairly closely. Just added some extra garlic salt after a couple hours in the slow cooker.

I made a few alterations as we have a small family and I didn't need too much...I halved the recipe. We didn't have mushrooms, so I used Cream of Mushroom soup and used Onion and Mushroom dry soup mix instead of recommended. My kids loved it as did myself and my husband! I will make this again for sure!

Absolutely delicious! I can see why this is "Kyle's Favorite" as this has definitely become a favorite in our house! I did however modify it a little to cut down on the number of steps. I added a little of garlic and onion powders along to the flour mixture and added the Worcestershire right to the crock pot. I also used whole baby carrots and whole baby red potatoes. I didn't bother with the boiling water, but rather added the onion soup mix right to the crock pot with beef broth. I also quartered a large vidalia onion, used portabella mushrooms, and added all that with the garlic and burgundy wine right to the crock pot along with a couple of bay leaves and let go for 8 hours on low. It smelled wonderful and thickened up nicely with the cornstarch mixture. It was wonderful with a side of french bread and a nice glass of wine!

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.